Typewriting machine



J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed July 21, 1921 Patented Dec, 23, 1924-.

OFFICE.

JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD TYPE- \VRITER COIVIPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITIN G BIACHINE.

Application filed July 21, 1921.

To all who-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Stamford, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting hIachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card-controlling means for typewriting machines, and is in the nature of an improvement on the patent to Hellstrom, No. 970,708, granted Septem ber 20, 1910.

In inserting a stiff card around the cylindrical platen of a typewriting machine, the card tends constantly to bulge out from the platen and cause improper engagement between its ends and the ribbon, the ribbonvibrator and the type-guide. F urtherrnore,

in a typewriting machine, as ordinarily equipped, it has been found impracticable to type upon the card near its top and bottom edges, due to inability to properly hold the card against the platen at the printing line.

According to the above-mentioned patent, it was proposed to obviate such difficulties by providing flexible carduides, attached at their lower ends to a fixed part of the machine, ano extending upwardly to engage the platen adjacent the ribbon-vibrator and type-guide, but on opposite sides thereof. Such card-guides were flared outwardly at each of their side edges, and at their tops, so that a card would be directed thereunder if brought into engagement therewith, either from the top or the sides.

The main object of the present invention is to provide improved card-controlling means for such general purposes, simple in construction, economical in manufacture, effective in operation, and easily applicable to machines of standard construction.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in writing on the last line of a card, In carrying out the invention,

provision may be made of an aligning table so positioned on the platen-frame that a card Serial No. 486,366.

of the kind to be used will, when gaged thereon, be positioned with its last line at the printing line. The card, when introduced at the front of the platen between the same and card-guides, such as disclosed in said patent to Hellstrom, may engage the ribbon or ribbon-vibrator, thus interfering with the insertion of the card or work-sheet, or if the card has been properly introduced the ribbon or ribbon-vibrator, when lifted by the type-action, may catch on the lower edge of the card. To obviate such difliculties, fingers secured to said card-guides extend inwardly over the flared side portions or lips of the card-guides, along the platen to points beneath the adjacent sides of the ribbon-vibrator and upwardly across the printing line, and flared outwardly at their upper ends. It will be evident that the present .in vention clearly obviates any interference between the lower edge of the work-sheet and either the ribbon or ribbon-vibrator.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 7

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a fragmentary front view, showing the invention as applied to so much of an Underwood standard typewriter as is necessary for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 2 is a diaglammatic side View, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a View looking from above, showing the position of the eard-c0ntrolling devices with respect to the platen, the ribbon-vibrator and the type-guide.

Figure 4t is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the devices which co-operate with the platen at the printing line.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view, showing the novel card-controlling fingers between the platen and the ribbon-vibrator.

The platen 11. is supported by an axle 12 journaled in the ends 13 of a platen-frame 14L comprising the usual rear paper-table l5. Positioned above the platen is an aligning table 16 provided with a side-edge gage 17 and a leading-edge gage 18. The table 16 is secured to a bar 19 extending across the flange 18, will lie at the printing line.

tance of the leading-edge gage 18. At its ends, the bar 19 is attached by suitable means, such as screws 23 hav ng. knurled.

heads for convenience in turning the same, to brackets 24 secured to the ends. of the platen-frame by suitable means, such as screws 25.

The position of the table 16, is determined by the v card 26 to be used. in connection therewith, the last lineof which, when the card is gaged by the leading-edge gage or To detain the card in this position, provision may be made of spring-clips 27 fastened to the bar 1:9 at itsback by suitablemeans, as screws 28.

\ Fixed on the usualtype-bar segment 29 is a type-bar guide 30, and slidably mounted between the guide 30 and the platen is a such v ribbon-vibrator 31 by which a ribbon 32 is lifted to the printing line upon actuation of any one of the types 33 mounted on typebars 34, so that the types may strike therethrough and print on the surface of the card supported by the platen.

To hold the card against the platen at the printing line, provision may be made of flexible guides 35 secured to the segment 29 by suitable means, such as screws 36, and engaging the platen at the printing line. Each of these guides has outwardly-flaring lips 37 and 38 at its inner and outer edges, respectively, and an outwardly-flared lip 39 at its upper end. It will bev evident that the lips 37 and 38 will tend to carry the edge of the card brought thereagainst. by movement of the platen, under the guide of which the lip forms a part, and that the outwardly-flared lips at the upper ends of the guides 35. tend to direct the lower edge of a card inserted. at the front of the platen between the latter and the guides 35.

Each guide 35 is provided. with an aperture 40 which is rectangular andextendsfor nearly the entire width of the guide. The

lower edge 41 of each aperture 40 is substantially in register. with the printing line on the platen, and both of the lower edges taken together may be madeto serve as a means toenable the operator to square the leading edgeo-f the card to the writing line, or to adjust any desired line on the card in register with the writing line on the platen.

Each guide is also provided with graduations 42 in proximity to the edge 41 to register with the type impressions upon the platen, said graduations being at letterspace intervals.

Although the card-guides 35 are designed to hold a stiff card in proper position relative to the platen, it will be evident that, when a. card 26 is inserted at the front of the platen, the lower edge of the card may engage the ribbon or ribbon-vibrator, and that in case the lower edge of the card is positioned substantially at the printing line,

as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upward movement of the ribbon-vibrator may cause the vibrator itself or the ribbon 32 to engage the lower edge of the card. To obviate these difficulties, provision may be made of fingers 43 secured to the guides 35 along their front faces, carried over the lips 37 and extended along the platen to positions between the adjacent sides of the ribbonvibrator. and the platen, and having upright extensions 44 extending across the printing line. The upper ends of the uprights 44 may be flared outwardly at 45 so as to facilitate the front insertion of the card 26.

43 with their uprlghts 44 render it sub stantially impossible for interference to arise between the lower edge of the card and either the ribbon or ribbon-vibrator, even when the platen is shifted up and down to enable the different sets of types toprint.

Inasmuch as the aligning table is intended to be maintained in one position and it may be desirable to position the card or worksheet 26 so that lines, other than the last, may be placed at the printing, line, provision may be made of lines 46 on the table at line-space distances from the gage 1,8. The leading edge of the card may then It will. be; evident that the fingers be gaged in connection with gage 18 or one of the lines 46, as desired. It will be seen that the clips engage the table 16 at such points that they will detain the cards 26 on the table, whether gaged by gage 18 or by the lines 46.

I In use, the card 26 may be inserted at the front of the platen, its lower edge being guided by the lips 39 between the platen 11 and the guides or fingers 35, and also, by the flaredportions 45 at the upper ends of the extensions 44, betweenv the platen and the ribbon-vibrator.

It will be noted that in a front-strike typewriting machine having a platen frame and a, revoluble platen, and having a ribbon-vibrator in front of the platen, that I have provided a novel card holding and guiding organization including a card-shelf arranged on edge above the front of the platen and supporting the card in flat condition in a position tangential to the platen at, theprinting line and inclinedbut slightly back fromthe verticalto clear the -upper set of the types 33 without appreciably bending the card, Figure 2; a leadingedge gage on said card-shelf positioning the card with its bottom edge substantially coincident with the bottom of the printing line on the platen, a pair of upright cardguiding members 35 secured upon the machine frame and having flared edges and extending across the printing line, and a pair of card-guiding fingers 43 extending from said upright members laterally back of the adjacent sides of the ribbon-vibrator and then upwardly at 44 beyond the upper edge of the vibrator and across the printing line and holding the lower edge of the card against the platen to receive the type impressions, and preventing interference between the lower edge of the card and the ribbon-vibrator during typing, said upright members and said fingers extended up sufficiently to maintain control of the card when the platen and card are shifted up in the usual manner to receive the impressions of the upper set of the types 33.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a front-strike typewriting machine having a platen frame and a revoluble platen, and having a ribbon-vibrator in front of the platen, card holding and guiding means including a card-shelf arranged on edge above the front of the platen and supporting the card in fiat condition in a position tangential to the platen at the printing line and inclined but slightly back from the vertical to clear the upper set of types without appreciably bending the card, a leading-edge gage on said card-shelf positioning the card with its bottom edge substantially coincident with the bottom of the printing line on the platen, a pair of upright card-guiding members secured upon the machine frame and having flared edges and extending across the printing line, and a pair of card-guiding fingers extending from said upright members laterally back of the adjacent sides of the ribbon-vibrator and then upwardly beyond the upper edge of the vibrator and across the printing line and holding the lower edge of the card against the platen to receive the type impressions, and preventing interference between the lower edge of the card and the ribbon-vibrator during typing.

2. In a front-strike typewriting machine having a platen frame and a revoluble platen, and having a ribbon-vibrator in front of the platen, card holding and guiding means including a card-shelf arranged on edge above the front of the platen and supporting the card in flat condition in a position tangential to the platen at the printing line and inclined but slightly back from the vertical to clear the upper set of types without appreciably bending the card, a leading edge gage on said card-shelf positioning the card with its bottom edge substantially coincident with the bottom of the printing line on the platen, a pair of upright cai'dguiding members secured upon the machine frame and having flared edges and extending across the printing line, and a pair of card-guiding fingers extending from said upright members laterally back of the adjacent sides of the ribbon-vibrator and then upwardly beyond the upper edge of the vibrator and across the printing line and holding the lower edge of the card against the platen to receive the type impressions, and preventing interference between the lower edge of the card and the ribbon-vibrator during typing, said upright members and said fingers extended up sufficiently to maintain control of the card when the platen and card are shifted up to receive the impressions of the upper types.

3. In a front-strike typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a ribbon-Vibrator, two upright members secured at their lower ends to a fixed part of the machine and extending across the printing line to co-operate with the platen at opposite sides of the ribbon-vibrator to hold a worksheet againstthe platen, each of said upright members be ing fiared forwardly at its edges to guide the edge of the work-sheet to the rear thereof, and means to hold the work-sheet against the platen at the rear of the ribbon-vibrator to prevent interference between the lower edge of the Work-sheet and the ribbon-vibrator and ribbon therein, said preventing means comprising fingers secured to said members at their outer ends and extending inwardly back of the adjacent sides of the ribbon-vibrator and then upwardly beyond the upper edge of the vibrator.

4. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, of a platen-frame, a ribbon-vibrator, a device for enabling the typing of a card in the last printing line position at the bottom thereof, While the card is held in a substantially flat condition, comprising a gage-plate upon which to place the card, detachable bracket members mounted up from the platen-frame to support the gage-plate at a suitable elevation above the platen on its delivery side, and spring clips bearing on the gage-plate mounted on the bracket members to hold the top portion of the card on the gage-plate so as to locate its bottom portion in precise typing position at the printing point, and co-operative means to engage the bottom edge of the card, comprising two upright members, one on each side of the printing point, secured at their lower ends to a fixed part of the machine, each upright member having flared edges to guide the card and a pressions, and to prevent interference befinger secured to each of said uprlght lnemtween the lower edge of the card and the hers and extending back of the adjacent rlbbon-vlbrator dunngtyplng.

sides of the ribbon-vibrator and then up- JESSE A. B. SMITH, 5 wardly beyond the upper edge of the vi- WVi-tnesses:

brator to hold the lower portion of the card CATHERINE A. NEWELL, against the platen to receive the type im- JENNIE P. THORNE. 

